Hydraulic apparatus



Feb. 20, 1934. MOODY- 1,947,654

HYDRAULIC APPARATUS Original Filed March 2, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet l imz ATTORNEY Feb. 20, 1934. F, DY 1,947,654

HYDRAULIC APPARATUS Original Filed March 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Int BY j. My

ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 20, 1 934 HYDRAULIC APPARATUS Lewis Ferry Moody, Princeton, N. J.

Original application March 2, 1928, Serial No.

258,530. Divided and this application December 5, 1931. Serial No. 579,324

10 Claims.

This invention relates to hydraulic turbines and more particularly to turbines of high specific speed provided with adjustable runner blades, one object of the invention being to provide im proved power means for adjusting the blades preferably by a motor of the fluid actuated oscillating type.

A further object is to provide improved operating means which will be efficient and certain in Y operation and so constructed that the operating parts may be effectively actuated or controlled by hydraulic pressure so as to be able to cope with the relatively large hydraulic forces acting upon the runner blades. A further and more specific object is to provide an oscillating vane type of motor either in the shaft coupling or Within the runner hub. In either case the vane type of motor is particularly adapted to produce the required amount of power within a relatively small axial space. If the space requirements are limited it can be compensated for, in order to obtain the necessary power, by providing a higher operating pressure, and due to the motor being of the oscillating type the extent of its angular movement will not be limited even though its axial dimension may be. In this way the desired amount of movement may be obtained in adjusting the blades whereas with other types of fluid operated motors such as the axially movable piston type, a considerable axial space would be necessary if a given amount of movement was desired. It is thus seen that my improved oscillating vane type motor is particularly adapted for use in a hydraulic turbine where minimum space may be provided and yet maximum power is obtainable without limitation of the extent of the movement of the parts.

Further objects and advantages will be more apparent to those skilled in the art from the lollowing description of the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section of a propeller typ hydraulic turbine with the blade adjusting motor disposed in the shaft coupling;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 2--2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section through the shaft coupling approximately on the line 3-3 of Fig.1;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a modification partially showing in vertical section the operating motor located within the runner hub;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged horizontal section of the hub motor of Fig. 5 taken on line 6-6 of Fig. '7;

Fig. 7 is a vertical section on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a vertical section through a portion of the runner hub and blade embodying a modification wherein individual motors are directly associated with each runner blade; Fig. 9 is a section taken on line 9-9 of Fig. 8; and a Fig. 10 is a section taken on line 10--10 of Fig. 8.

While my present invention has been shown in connection with a high specific speed turbine, yet it will be understood that the invention is applicable to any other type of turbine where adjusting and operating mechanism is desired, although the mechanism herein described is particularly applicable to a high specific speed turbine of the type employing a runner l which carries, by a hub 2, outwardly-extending relatively flat blades 3, pivotally mounted in the hub. The hub has an outer wall and a hollow interior 4 provided with a. partition 5 to which a hollow turbine shaft 6 is connected by a suitable flange and-bolt arrangement 7, the turbine shaft thus terminating at the partition 5, thereby leaving the chamber 4 entirely free for containing sub-' stantially only the blade operating mechanism and the light grease or other lubricant used. The wall of the runner hub is preferably of such contour as to be a continuation of the inner surface 8 of a head-cover structure 9, which forms in combination with the lower distributing ring 10 a continuation of a radial inflow passage 11, turning through a transition space 12 to direct the water in an axial direction and into a draft tube 13 after passing through the runner 1. Suitable angularly disposed stay vanes 14 and adjustable guide vanes or wicket gates 15 are disposed in the radial inlet to impart whirl to and control the flow to the runner. 95

The runner herein shown has six blades, although the number may vary in accordance with operating conditions for any particular plant, but in general a relatively small number of blades will be employed. The runner blades 3 may be journalled in the runner hub in any of the various manners that are usually employed in turbine construction, such blades being specifically shown herein as diagonally inclined or angularly disposed to the runner axis and ad- 105 justable about the inclined axes thereof. Inasmuch as the present application is directed more particularly to the actuating means for the blade adjusting mechanism, it will not be necessary to describe in detail the construction by which 110 the blades are adjustably supported in the hubs, as it is preferably the same as shown in my copending application, Serial No. 258,530, filed March 2, 1928, now Patent No. 1,835,139, issued April 12, 1932, of which this application is a division. It will, therefore, suflice to state that the blades are adjustably supported in the wall of the hub as generally indicated at 16, each blade being provided with a depending arm 17 which swings about the axis of the runner blade. A suitable pin and slot 18 connects the depending arm 17 to a spider rigidly secured to a centrally disposed rotatable rod 19 which extends upwardly and as shown in the modification of Figs. -7 is connected to a piston of vane 20 of an oscillatable motor 21 disposed substantially centrally within the runner hub so as to be substantially coaxial to the runner shaft.

Motor 21 is of the fluid actuated type and comprises a cylindrical casing 22 secured to the partition 5 of the runner hub. A stationary head 23, Fig. 6, is secured in the chamber of casing 22 to effect two operating chambers 24 and 25, the head 23 cooperating with the periphery of the vane hub, the adjacent surfaces of which are suitably provided with packing; To control operation of the motor there is provided a supply pipe 26 spaced from the wall of an exhaust passage 27 extending through both sections of the hollow turbine shaft 6, the lower section being connected to the runner hub While the upper section such as 29, Fig. 1, is connected to the generator. These two shaft sections are connected together by a usual flanged coupling 30. Again referring to Figs. 5-? supply pipe 26 carries a valve head 31 rotatably disposed within a cylindrical recess 32 formed in the hub 33 of vane 20 and operating shaft 19. To control fluid distribution for chamber there is provided ports 34 and 35, formed respectively in valve 31 and head 33, adapted when in registera to supply fluid pressure to chamber 25 from pipe 26. Fluid exhausts from chamber 24 by way of ports 36 and 3'7 and passage 27. This valve position causes counterclockwise movement of vane 20, viewing Fig. 6. Reverse movement is obtained by rotating pipe 26 so that ports 38, 36 and 35, 39 come in register.

The supply pipe 26 and valve head 31 can be rotated by any suitable mechanism disposed at the .1 upper end of the generator shaft, through which pipe 26 extends, the fluid connections to both pipe 26 and exhaust passage 27 being by any usual swivel-packing device disposed at the end of the generator shaft on the top of the generator.

In operation: when the turbine is normally operating and the gates are in a fixed adjusted position, valve head 31 will be so disposed that passage 34 will be midway between passages 35 and 39, and passage 36 between passages 37 and 38, thereby preventing admission of fluid to or exhaust of fluid from chambers 24 and 25. If it is desired to adjust the gates by moving the piston 20 counter-clockwise, looking at Fig. 6, valve head 31 will be moved in a clockwise direction to the position shown in Fig. 6, whereupon fluid pressure from pipe 26 flows into chamber 25 through passages 34 and 35, and at the same time fluid in chamber 24 is discharged through passage 27 as by way of the connected passages 36 and 37. After these various ports are brought into communicating relation, if valve head 31 is then held stationary, piston 20 will continue to move in a counter-clockwise direction until passage 34 7 moves just out of communication with the port 35, during which time exhaust port 37 will have moved just out of communication with port 36, thereby preventing both discharge of fluid from chamber 24 and admittance of fluid to chamber 25. If it is desired to adjust the piston 20 to a greater extent, valve head 31 can be moved along with the movement of piston 20, thereby keeping passages 34, 35, 36 and 37 in communication with each other; but as soon as movement of valve head 31 ceases, piston 20 will continue to move only a sufflcient distance to overrun the passages 34 and 37. Reverse operation of valve 31 is followed when it is desired to move piston 20 in a clockwise direction. Thus upon oscillation of piston 20 and its rod 19 the runner blades will be adjusted simultaneously through the pin and slot connections 18 between the shaft 19 and depending arms 17. When the valve 31 is in neutral position, fluid pressure will be maintained in each of the operating chambers 24 and 25, thereby positively holding the blades in adjusted position.

In the form of Figs. 3 and 4, a combined fluid and mechanical actuating means is shown as employing an oscillating piston vane 40 movable between two partitions 41 and 41a, all of which are disposed within and removably secured to the inner circular periphery of a spacing ring 42 disposed between the coupling flanges 27 and 28. The operating shaft 19 is located and operated in a manner similar to that shown in the preferred form. The mechanical operating mechanism has a rod 43 slidably carried in openings 44 and held in adjusted axial positions only by nuts 43?) threaded thereon, while a pair of blocks 44' pivoted on pins 45 carried by a block 42' which is rigidly secured to rod 43, are slidably disposed in slots 46 formed in operating arm 4'7 and 47a.

To supply and exhaust fluid from the motor chambers 48 and 48a, a fluid passage and port arrangement similar to that shown in Fig. 6 is disposed in the upper side of the hub carrying the arms 47 and vane 47a with the exception that the ports in the valve mechanism 40' are closer together due to the chambers 48 and 48a containing less than 290 as in Fig. 6. The structure, operation and fluid connections of this valve 40' are similar to those shown in Fig. 6.

In operation, Fig. 3 may be actuated in several manners: First, solely as a fluid-actuated device which employs the mechanical mechanism merely as a locking device. By loosening both nuts 43b and supplying fluid to either one or the other of chambers 48 or 48a the device can be freely moved by fluid pressure only; and after the desired adjustment has been obtained, both nuts can be tightened, thereby positively prohibiting further movement of piston 40. During this operation, if desired nuts 432) may be removed, leaving the device entirely under fluid control, or both the rod 43 and nuts may be removed. Second, the device can be operated solely in a mechanical manner in case the fluid-pressure supply is interrupted, in which case one or the other of the nuts 435 will be loosened, while the remaining nut will be moved in a tightening dil rection, thus causing rod 43 to be drawn over to one side or the other and likewise causing angular movement of the operating shaft 19. While, third, both modes of operation above mentioned can be combined if any circumstances should arise which would necessitate such. The oscillating motors herein disclosed have their piston vanes moved backwardly and forwardly in the nature of a pendulum. Also in connection with the central oscillating motor there is the advantage I that substantially the same stresses and forces are transmitted through the operating rod for either direction of blade adjustment therebyallowing said draft to be most efilcientlydesigned for both conditions of operation. This is in distinction to usual reciprocating types of blade adjusting motors wherein the operating rod between the motor and blades is subjected alternatively to compression or tension forces thus necessitating that the shaft shall be sufficiently strong to avoid buckling under compression. The disadvantage of this arrangement is that the shaft is then stronger than necessary for operation when subjected to tension. Hence my im-. proved, centrally located oscillating motor has the foregoing and other advantages without the disadvantages above mentioned. I

In the modification of Figs. 8. to 10, each blade is provided with an individual servo-motor; all of which are controlled by a central'mechanism. The advantage of this arrangement is that the aggregate fluid pressure area on the pistons of the several servo-motors may be designed to be greater than the area of a single central servomotor.. In this form each blade has a cylindrical hub-like disc 57, disposed in a close-fitting circular recess 58, and a shaft 59 extending through a bearing- 60. A fluid operating motor chamber 61, Fig. 9, has a removable arcuate wearing plate 62. The servo-motors are of the oscillating-vane type, each having a vane 63 secured to disc 57 and shaft 59 either by being cast therewith, or removably secured thereto in any well-known manner. The free edges of vane 63 have close sliding contact with the walls of chamber 61 by using any suitable packing particularly between the vane and member 62. To hold the runner blade in axial position and also to provide means for supporting a controlling valve, a collar 64 has lugs 65 connected to lugs 66 formed on bearing 60. A split circular key 68 is held in an annular groove 69 by the collar 64 so that while the collar 64 remains stationary, still the shaft 69 and blade can rotate.

To control the fluid pressure to chambers '71 and '72 formed on opposite sides of vane 63, shaft 59 has ports 73 and 74, while a valve having a head '75 and stem '76 is provided with an exhaust passage and ports 77, and fluid supply passages including annular groove 78 and ports 79 and 80 formed in head 75. The valve is held in position by a sleeve 81 extending inwardly from collar 64 and overlapping the peripheral portion of head 75. A pressure supply pipe 83 connects the annular space 78 with passage 84 formed in the turbine shaft while an exhaust pipe 85 connects with a passage 86 in an operating rod 87 through a chamber 88. Rod 87 and stem 76 are connected by bevel gears 89 and 90.

Exhaust pipe 85 and the chamber 88 are disposed on the outside of the pressure connections to the annular passages '78 and 84, thereby causing any leakage from the high-pressure source along the outside of the valve stem 76 or the rod 87 to be discharged into a low-pressure area such as the exhaust pipe 85. This reduces to a minimum the possibility of leakage to the exterior.

Fig. 8 shows only one blade and its associated servo-motor and controlling mechanism, al-

' though it will be understood that the servo-motor and valve control for each blade will be identical to that shown in Fig. 8, and the bevel gear 90 of each valve control will mesh with the central gear 89.

In operation of this form to cause clockwise movement-of, .va'ne 63,- rod 87 will beactuated by any suitable mechanism at the top of. the generator shaft, as previously; explained, so as to cause exhaust port80 to register with passage 73-;and pressure-supply port 77 to register with passage '74. If valvehead '75 is held stationary during servo-motor movement, passages 73 and 74 will overrun passages 7'7 and 80, thereby causing the servo-motor to stop at-a predetermined position. To reverse the direction of blade movement the valve,head 75 is rotated in a reverse direction so as to connect ports 79 and 74, and

77.and73.. I

It thusseen that in all of the forms shown, an extremely compact and yet powerful arrangementis provided while permitting the desired angular movement of the oscillating vanes. y This-application is a division of my copending application,- Serial No. 258,530, .filedMarch 2, 1928, ,now Patent No. 1,835,189 this divisional application being directed to the'feature of having an oscillatorymotor disposed inthe specific aspect of the inventionqcoaxially ofthe runner shaft.

It will, of course, be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made; in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as setforth in the appendedclaims.

Q-Ieclaimt.

1 1. The combination in, a hydraulic, turbine comprising a runnerhavingadjustable blades, means for effecting adjustment-thereof including a fluid actuated oscillatable motor centrally disposed within the hub of said runner, and means connecting said; motor with each of said blades whereby any oscillatory movement of said motor iscommonly and'simultaneously transmitte d;to'.each of said blades. I

2. The combination in a hydraulic turbin comprising a. runner having adjustable blades, means for effecting adjustment thereof including a fluid actuated oscillatable motor centrally disposed within the hub of said runner and oscillatable about a vertical axis, and means connecting said motor with each of said blades whereby any oscillatory movement of said motor is commonly and simultaneously transmitted to each of said blades.

3. The combination in a hydraulic turbine comprising a runner having adjustable blades, a hollow runner shaft, means for effecting adjustment of said runner blades including a fluid actuated oscillatable motor disposed within the hub of said runner, and a pipe disposed within said hollow shaft whereby two passages are provided, one inside of said pipe and the other outside thereof, for conducting fluid relative to said motor for effecting actuation thereof, and means connecting said motor with each of said blades whereby any oscillatory movement of said motor is commonly and simultaneously transmitted to each of said blades.

4. The combination in a hydraulic turbine comprising a runner having adjustable blades, a hollow shaft for said runner, means for effecting adjustment of said blades including a fluid actuated oscillatable motor disposed within the hub of said runner, a valve member disposed within said motor for distributing actuating fluid therefor, means extending through said hollow shaft for actuating said valve, and means connecting said motor with each of said blades whereby any oscillatory movement of said motor 

